Mist generator



March 10, 1964 J. D. ROBBINS ETAL 3,124,283

MIST GENERATOR Filed Sept. 27, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV EN TORS JA MES 17. ROBE/AIS DA V/D K JOHNS 701V ATTORNEY 5 March 10, 1964 J. D. ROBBINS ETAL 3,124,233

MIST GENERATOR Filed Sept. 27, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i Z I 1 3/ 42 8: A7673 I zfi/B O 1 6/ V VB are 4 92 INVENTORS JAM'S Q A0B5/A/6' 24 W0 K JUHA/STOA/ ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,124,283 MIST GENERATGR James D. Robbins, 326 South, and David K. Johnston, 109 Mason St., both of Spring Lake, Mich. Filed Sept. 27, 1960, Sen No. 58,842 7 Claims. ((1 22351) This invention relates to apparatus for steaming and more particularly to a device for steaming garments in dry cleaning establishments and the like.

Steaming devices for pressing clothes and reconditioning the nap thereof have been known and used for a long time. These are commonly found in large dry cleaning establishments and include an expensive complexity of equipment. The steam is created in a pressure boiler with its usual thick walls, and is then conducted through a piping and valving network to the garment hanging form. Pressure controllers, gauges and an assorted array of valves are utilized on such machinery to keep it under control. Such pressure equipment is inherently dangerous to operate. Of course, the pressure vessels and piping are not readily movable, if at all, and involve large maintenance expenses to'keep it in a safe condition, as usually required by ordinances. Since this type of equipment is so diiiicult to install and operate, and is veryexpensive, the number of dry cleaning establishments which can avail themselves thereof is limited.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a steaming device which is very simple to construct and install and yet is very easy to operate by any layman. It is a further object to provide such a simple steaming device that can be adapted to function on a coin operated principle in a cleaning establishment of any size. Further objects of this invention are to provide such a steaming device which is very rapid in response; isreadily movable from place to place with very simple installation steps; is very inexpensive to buy and to maintain; contains no dangerous parts such as pressure vessels and the like;contains no expensive parts; and requires no valves or spraying nozzles that are subject to fouling and malfunctioning.

These and other objects will be apparent from the following specification in view of the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the steaming device as utilized on a dry cleaning garment form;

FIG. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the steam formin g vessel;

FIG. 3 is an elevational end View of the steam forming device as assembled;

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram used on the steamer.

The steaming device of this invention comprises a tank containing a constant level of water for forming the steam to steam clothes through a porous garinentholder. The water is kept at a constant temperature just below boiling by heaters and a thermostatic control, and is heated and controlled at boiling condition by the heaters under a second thermostatic control when desired. The steam passes through and around a bathe in the tank and thence through a nozzle into the garment holding form. After the steaming is completed, a cooling fan inflates the form, thereby forcing air through the porous garment holder for shaping and drying the garment.

The assembly is composed essentially of steam forming apparatus 12, garment holding form 14 and cooling fan assembly 16.

The steam forming apparatus 12 includes a tank 18 capable of containing water 20. Water inlet 22 serves to supply the tank with the desired amount of water, the level ofwhich is controlled by a suitable level controller such as a float control assembly 24 with slidable Water stopping valve 25. Located in the tank 18 are a pair of heaters 26 and 28 for heating the water.

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3,124,283 Patented Mar. 10, 1964 Included in the heater circuit are thermostats or thermostatic switches 30 and 34. One of these switchesis utilized to maintain the water 20 just below a boiling temperature, while the other is capable of controlling the heaters to cause the water to boil when steam is desired.

A single larger heater unit may be used with the double thermostatic control for the same purpose, as will be readily understood from the explanation given hereinafter. i

In FIGURES 2 and 3 is shown tank 18 with orifice 23 for water inlet 22, orifices 27 and 29 for heaters 26 and 28, and orifices 31 and 35 for thermostatic button inserts 3i and 34. Bafile member 38 is provided above the water inlet and is preferably slightly convex in shape as shown in FIG. 2 so that any condensed moisture will fall back into tank 18 This bathe contains a series of orifices 49 for steam passage into the nozzle 48 and garment holder as will be explained more fully hereinafter. This bafile is mounted in the tank 18 on pins 42 or the like, and is slightly smaller in width than tank 18 to leave a clearance 32 around the periphery of the bafile (see FIG. 3) to serve as a steam passageway. This also allows condensate formingabove the bafile to freely fall back into the water 20. One large advantage of the bafile is to prevent condensing water vapor from passing into the porous form to overly wet the garment being steamed.

housed in a suitable casing 53 to provide a compact enclosed unit. Mounted above the steamer, preferably upon the housing 50, and surrounding the outlet pipe 46 and nozzle 48 is a porous garment holding bag 14. This may be of nylon material, wire mesh or other equivalent porous materials known in the art. Fan 16 mounted in housing 56, is provided for blowing cooling air through openings 52 in the housing into bag form 14. Asafety release valve 54 may be mounted on the top of the tank if desired, although this is not necessary due to the complete lack of any substantial pressure within the entire unit.

Mounted on housing is a cam operated switch mechanism including a switch 62 which is connected into or coin operated switch 62, a timer motor 64 for controlling timer switches '68 and 70, a low temperature thermostatic switch 30 that is normally closed and opens at about 210 degrees F., a high temperature thermostatic switch 34 which is normally closed and opens at a temperature above 212 degrees F., a coil 72 which controls normally closed relay switches 66 and 67, heaters 26 and 28 for heating the water and which may be substituted by one or any number of heaters as desired, and fan blower motor 60for cooling fan assembly 16. Also one relay switchwould function in place of the two switches 66' and 67. The use of both here is for safety purposes to do away with hot leads on the heaters.

Operation The compact steamer device shown with steaming unit 12 blower assembly 16 and garment holding form 14 is put into operation by first connecting water inlet 22 to a normal faucet or other conventional water outlet. Water flows into tank 18 through inlet 22 to fill the tank to a level determined by the float assembly 24. When the desired level is reached, slide valve 25 shuts oif the water. This constant level is maintained during the operation by the float valve assembly. Next the circuit shown in FIG. 4 is plugged into a conventional 220 volt line applying power across leads til and 63. As soon as this power is applied, the current flows through lead at, thence to point 74, through normally closed thermostat 3%, through coil 72, through normally closed thermostat 34, to point 76 and back to ground 63. The flow of current through coil 72 actuates relay switch 66 to hold it in a closed position during normal operation. Thermostat 39 is set at approximately 210 degrees F. Thus current also passes from lead 61 through the switch 66 and through the parallel connected heaters 26 and 28, through switch 67, back to point 78, through high temperature thermostat 34 and thence to lead 63. When heaters 26 and 28 are thus actuated and the temperature of water 2% in tank 18 rises to 210 degrees, thermostat 3d opens to cut oil the current through coil 72 and open relay switches 66 and 67 to deactuate the heaters. In this manner, the temperature is maintained at a point just below boiling during normal operation.

When it is desired to steam a garment, the article of clothing is placed upon form 14. Next, switch 62 is closed by dropping a coin in the conventional coin operated mechanism 69 to actuate the timer motor 64. This timer closes switch 79 by the usual cam operation or a similar means causing thermostat 3t) to be shunted or bypassed. Thus, the current passes from lead 61 to point 81, across closed switch '70 to point 80, through coil 72, and high temperature thermostat 34 to point 76, and back to lead 63. Current passage through coil 72 holds relay switches 66 and 67 closed as before. High temperature thermostat 34 now controls the heaters 26 and 28 instead of the shunted low temperature thermostat 39. Instead of heaters 26 and 28 being cut oil at 210 degrees, they now continue heating to cause water 2.0 to boil since thermostat 34 is set at a temperature above the boiling point of water. This boiling continues for a desired set time, for example two and a half minutes, as determined by timer 64. The steam being caused by the heaters passes through the orifices 4t and through the peripheral opening 32, up through pipe 46 and out through the openings in nozzle 48. The steam then passes through the opening in porous bag-holding form 14 and into the garment.

When the desired amount of steam has passed through the garment, timer 64 opens switch 70. Thermostat again controls the temperature at about 210 degrees F. Thermostat 34 remains closed as before but is no longer controlling since thermostat 30 will open first Timer motor 64 also then closes switch 68 causing current to flow from lead 61, through point 32, across switch 68, through blower motor 60 and back to lead 63. This blower motor 60 operates fan 16 to force cooling air up through orifices 52 in the housing to inflate the garment holding bag, thereby shaping and drying the garment by passage of air therethrough. This blower may be actuated for approximately a minute and a half as required to remove the moisture. Timer motor 64 may be adjusted conventionally to accomplish this.

When the moisture has been removed, the blower is shut off by timer 64 opening switch 68. Current continues to flow through heaters 25 and 28 under control of normally closed thermostat 30 via coil 72 and closed relay switch 66 to keep the unit in readiness for the next steaming operation.

Thus, it is seen how we have devised a steaming apparatus which is very simple in construction, simple in operation, readily movable, cheap to buy and to main- 1. tain, contains no expensive or dangerous parts, contains no valving complex to foul or malfunction, and supplies steam within a few moments of its actuation, thus allowing one to install coin operated steamers for any small cleaning establishment.

Although applicant has shown only one embodiment of his invention, it is obvious to those having ordinary skill in the art that this device may be modified in various ways. These modifications are deemed by the applicant to be within the scope of his invention, which invention is intended to be limited only by structures defined in the following claims and the equivalent structures thereto.

We claim:

1. In a clothes steaming device, the combination of a porus garment holding form; a tank adjacent said form for holding water; water inlet means in said tank; water level control means in said tank; heating means in said tank; thermostatic control means for controlling the energization of said heating means for holding the water in said tank at a temperature slightly below boiling; said thermostatic control means being selectively responsive to selectively energize said heating means for raising the temperature of said water to above boiling to create steam; and mist outlet means from said tank including an orifice for venting said tank to the atmosphere inside of said form.

2. In a clothes steaming device, the combination com prising a housing; a tank inside said housing for holding water; water inlet means in said tank; water level control means in said tank; heating means in said tank capable of supplying at least two different quantities of heat; at least two independent thermostatic controllers for said heating means, one of said controllers controlling the energization of said heating means for holding the water in said tank at a temperature slightly below boiling and the other of said controllers being selectively responsive to selectively energize said heating means for raising the temperature of said water to above boiling to create steam; mist outlet means on said tank and extending through said housing and including a valveless venting nozzle; and a porous garment holding form mounted on said housing and around said venting nozzle.

3. In a clothes steamer the combination of a porous garment holding form; a tank adjacent said form for holding water; water inlet means in said tank; water level control means in said tank; heating means adjacent the base of said tank; at least two independent thermostats controlling said heaters, one of said thermostats controlling the energization of said heating means for holding the water in said tank at a temperature slightly below boiling and the other of said thermostats being selectively responsive to selectively energize said heating means for raising the temperature of said water to above boiling to create steam; a bafile in said tank containing a plurality of orifices; and mist outlet means from said tank including a valveless orifice for venting mist to said form.

4. In a clothes steaming device the combination comprising a housing; a porous garment holding form mounted on said housing; a tank for holding water in said housing; water inlet means in said tank; water level control means in said tank; heating means in said tank; a baffle in said tank above said water inlet means, said bafile occupying substantially the entire area over the water in the tank and containing a plurality of orifices; mist outlet means from said tank including a valveless orifice for venting said tank to the atmosphere inside of said holding form; and a fan mounted in said housing and operatively connected to said garment holding form.

5. In a clothes steaming device, the combination comprising a housing; a tank containing water within said housing; a water inlet in said tank; Water level control means in said tank; heater means adjacent the base of said tank; at least two independent thermostats controlling said heater means, one of said thermostats controlling the energization of said heating means for holding the water in said tank at a temperature slightly below boilamazes ing and the other of said thermostats being selectively responsive to selectively energize said heating means for raising the temperature of said Water to above boiling to create steam; a halide in said tank above the Water level and containing a plurality of orifices, said bafi'le occupying substantially the entire area over the Water in the tank; mist outlet means extending upwardly from said tank including a "alveless venting nozzle; a porous garment holding form mounted on said housing and around said venting nozzle; and a fan mounted in said housing and operatively connected to said garment holding form.

6. In a mist generator, the combination comprising a tank; water inlet means on said tank; water level controlling means on said water inlet; heating means adjacent the lower portion of said tank; at least two thermo static controllers for said heating means, one of said controllers controlling the energization of said heating means for holding the water in said tank at a temperature slightly below boiling and the other of said controllers being selectively responsive to selectively energize said heating means for raising the temperature of said water to above boiling to create steam; and a mist venting means on said tank so as to vent said tank to the atmosphere.

7. In a mist generator the combination comprising a tank; water inlet means in said tank; Water level control means in said tank; heater means in said tank; at least two thermostatic controllers for said heater means, one of said thermostatic controllers controlling the energization of said heater means to maintain the water ata temperature just below boiling, and the other of said thermostatic controllers heing selectively res onsive to selectively energize said heater means for raising the temperature of said water to cause the water to boil and form steam when desired; an orificed bathe means in said tank adjacent the top thereof; said baffle means occupying substantially the entire area over the Water in the tank having a slightly convex upward curvature; and a mist venting means on said tank for venting steam to the atmosphere.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,492,083 Pegues Apr. 29, I924 2,213,288 Punigor Sept, 3, 1940 2,243,093 Flahive May 27, 1941 2,317,924 Lendle Apr. 27, 1943 2,345,413 Morton Mar. 28, 1944 2,460,732 Brenner et al. Feb. 1, 1949 2,530,067 Maurer Nov. 14, 1950 2,726,314 Prain Dec. 6, 1955 2,767,568 Pope Oct. 23, 1956 2,966,287 Paris Dec. 27, 1960 

1. IN A CLOTHES STEAMING DEVICE, THE COMBINATION OF A PORUS GARMENT HOLDING FORM; A TANK ADJACENT SAID FORM FOR HOLDING WATER; WATER INLET MEANS IN SAID TANK; WATER LEVEL CONTROL MEANS IN SAID TANK; HEATING MEANS IN SAID TANK; THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE ENERGIZATION OF SAID HEATING MEANS FOR HOLDING THE WATER IN SAID TANK AT A TEMPERATURE SLIGHTLY BELOW BOILING; SAID THERMOSTATIC CONTROL MEANS BEING SELECTIVELY RESPONSIVE TO SELECTIVELY ENERGIZE SAID HEATING MEANS FOR RAISING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID WATER TO ABOVE BOILING TO CREATE STEAM; AND MIST OUTLET MEANS FROM SAID TANK INCLUDING AN ORIFICE FOR VENTING SAID TANK TO THE ATMOSPHERE INSIDE OF SAID FORM. 